The FARC and the Colombian government reach for peace

Americas Now

Elaine Reyes

Elaine Reyes

Published December 20, 2015 at 4:10 PM
Updated December 20, 2015 at 4:11 PM

Since 2012, the Colombian government has been negotiating a peace deal with Latin America’s largest guerilla army, the FARC. This comes after an armed conflict between the two sides that has lasted more than 50 years and seen 200,000 people killed and millions displaced.

Political analyst Laura Carlsen joins Elaine Reyes on the set of “Americas Now” to discuss the current state of the peace talks.

The Colombian government and the FARC have set a March 2016 deadline for a peace agreement to be finalized.  Once that happens, President Juan Manuel Santos wants to hold a general vote in which the public can agree or refuse the terms of the peace deal.  The vote is called a plebiscite.  But the FARC has rejected the idea of a public vote. Laura tells us more about what a plebiscite is and also explains that reaching a peace agreement may just be the beginning of the challenge. The true test of a lasting agreement may be when the FARC has to re-integrate with Colombian society.

Take a listen.

The FARC and the Colombian government continue to reach for peace

Since 2012, the Colombian government has been negotiating a peace deal with Latin America’s largest guerilla army, the FARC. This comes after an armed conflict between the two sides that has lasted more than 50 years and seen 200,000 people killed and millions displaced. Political analyst Laura Carlsen joins Elaine Reyes on the set of “Americas Now" to discuss the current state of the peace talks. The Colombian government and the FARC have set a March 2016 deadline for a peace agreement to be finalized. Once that happens, President Juan Manuel Santos wants to hold a general vote in which the public can agree or refuse the terms of the peace deal. The vote is called a plebiscite. But the FARC has rejected the idea of a public vote. Laura tells us more about what a plebiscite is and also explains that reaching a peace agreement may just be the beginning of the challenge. The true test of a lasting agreement may be when the FARC has to re-integrate with Colombian society.